Electrolyte-reservoir coupler



ay 2, 1967 COLEMAN ETAL. 3,317,760

ELECTROLYTERESEJRVOI H COUPLER Filed Oct. 31, 1965 INVENTORS GEORGE M COLEMAN ROBERT (IV/W} RUG/1' BY JEROME E SMITH @JAW A TTOR/VEYS United States Patent O 3,317,760 ELECTROLYTE-RESERVOIR COUPLER George M. Coleman, 5614 Elk St., San Diego, Calif.

92114; Robert Ruch, R.F.D. Box 828, Gales Ferry, Conn. 06335; and Jerome Frost Smith, Box 113, U.S.N. Hospital, Chelsea, Mass. 02150 Filed Oct. 31, 1963, Ser. No. 320,585 2 Claims. (Cl. 310---2) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to a coupler for coupling physical phenomenon to U-effect tubes and more particularly to a coupler for coupling physical phenomena to U-eifect tubes utilizing an electrolyte reservoir.

According to the invention, an electrolyte reservoir is coupled to at least one open end of a U-eifect tube. In this application the term U-eitect tube refers to that type of tube in which alternate globules or layers of an electrolyte such as sulphuric acid are interdispersed with globules or layers of mercury or other nonvolatile elements or compounds. It is well known that when lateral displacement of the globules or layers, caused by axial movement of the tube, for example, a voltage is generated at each end of the tube, or between the ends of the tube, proportional to the displacement and of a polarity dependent upon the direction of displacement. To more efficiently utilize this U-effect, the present invention couples a reservoir of the electrolyte used in the U-etfect tube to at least one end of the U-etfect tube and utilizes the reservoir chamber as a pickup further causing displacement in the U-effect tube. The simplest example would be that of a unitary chamber having at least one wall of a thin pressure sensitive diaphragm, which, with a change of ambient temperature, would cause displacement within the U- etfect tube. Another embodiment utilizes a diaphragm which divides the electrolyte chamber into two compartments and each end of the U-effect tube is coupled to a separate compartment. Various means are then provided for transferring variable physical phenomena to movement of the dividing diaphragm resulting again in displacement within the U-effect tube.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide reservoir couplers for coupling physical phenomena to U-elfect tubes.

A further object of the invention is a provision of a reservoir coupler for coupling ambient pressure changes to a U-effect tube.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a reservoir coupler for coupling velocity to a U-etlect tube.

A further object of the invention is a provision of a reservoir coupler for coupling displacement to a U-effect tube.

Still another object is to provide a reservoir for coupling acceleration to a U-eifect tube.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partially broken away perspective of one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of the present invention.

3,317,760 Patented May 2, 1967 Referring to FIG. 1, the chamber generally shown at 11 is filled with electrolyte such as sulphuric acid, forming a reservoir of the said electrolyte. Circular diaphragms 12 and 13 are mounted by retaining rings 14 and 16 and screws 17 to cylindrical wall 18. U-efiect tube 21 is passed through aperture 22 of lower diaphragm 13. Tube 21 has mercury globules 23 interspersed with an electrolyte 24 which is preferably the same as electrolyte 12 in chamber 11.

Referring to FIG. 2 a modification of FIG. 1 is shown, here cylindrical wall 18 is abutted by circular sections 26 which are constructed of the same material and thickness as cylindrical wall 18. Mounted in the center of the entire unit 11 is a diaphragm 12a which divides the entire unit into two equal parts. Diaphragm 12a can be constructed of any thin insulating material such as plastic.

-Masses 27 and 28 are mounted on each side of the center of diaphragm 12a. U-effect tube 21 having mercury globules 23 interspersed with electrolytes 24 has its ends passed through apertures 22 and 22a of lower circular plate 26.

Referring to FIG. 3 compartment 11 is identical to that of FIG. 2 with two exceptions. The first exception is that diaphragm 12a and masses 27 and 28 (FIG. 2) have been replaced with rigid dividing insulator 39. The second exception is the insertion of bellows 31 through apertures 32 which are in contact and filled with the electrolyte within the chamber 11.

Referring to FIG. 4 chamber 11 is again identical to chamber 11 of FIG. 2 with the exception of masses 27 and 28 (FIG. 2) not being utilized in the embodiment of FIG. 4, and with the addition of rods 33 and 36. Rods 33 and 36 are passed through a watertight or hermetic seal 37 and 38, respectively, in cylindrical wall 18 and are attached to diaphragm 12a at the center thereof, which can be soldered or welded as shown at 39 and 40.

OPERATION Referring back to FIG. 1 it can be seen that if the entire cylinder or chamber 11 is filled with an electrolyte such as the electrolyte utilized in U-effect tube 21 between the mercury globules 23 as pressure i.e. ambient pressure increases diaphragms 12 and 13 will force electrolyte 12 into the end of U-effect tube 21 causing a displacement of the mercury globules which in turn create a voltage gradient across the U-effect tube. Thus, an indication of this voltage will be a direct indication of the ambient pressure change surrounding the chamber. This voltage is measured by lead-in conductors, such as those shown at 1 and 2, submerged, respectively, in the conductive electrolyte at either end of the capillary tube.

Referring to FIG. 2 another embodiment is shown in which the general shape of the overall chamber 11 is cylindrical but in this case instead of having diaphragms forming the ends of the cylinder, the ends of the cylinder are formed by the same outer casing as that of the cylinder itself. An insulating diaphragm in this instance is placed in the center of the cylinder dividing the cylinder into two compartments. Two masses 27 and 28 are symmetrically disposed at the center portion of the diaphragm. In this embodiment if the entire unit is moved to the right or left in FIG. 2, the weighted diaphrgam will be displaced, causing a displacement of electrolyte into one end of the U-effect tube 21 and forcing the electrolyte out of the other end of U-efifect tube 21. This, of course, will cause displacement of mercury globules 23, again creating a potential difference across the U-eitect tube. This difference will then be an indication of acceleration of the entire unit.

Referring to FIG. 3 a still diiferent embodiment of the present invention is shown. If the unit functions as a movement detector, one of the bellows can be placed against any objectsuch as the hull of a ship and the chamber 11 mounted on a piece of machinery. The unit will then detect relative movement between the hull of the ship against bellows 31 and the machinery on which the chamber is mounted. The method of detection utilizes the same principle as outlined with respect to FIG. 2. If one of the bellows 31 is depressed, for example, this will force electrolyte from that compartment 11 down into the U-eifect tube causing electrolyte from the other end of the U-eitect tube to move into the opposite compartment. This again causes a displacement of the mercury globules 23, which creates a potential difference across the U-effect tube. This potential difference in this embodiment will indicate relative motion between any surface attached to one of the bellows and the chamber 11. Here dividing wall 39 is not a thin diaphragm but is constructed of rigid insulating material.

Referring to FIG. 4 a still further embodiment of the instant invention is shown again in the form of a movement detector. In this embodiment the wall dividing the two compartments is a thin insulating diaphragm the same as in FIG. 2. In place of masses 27 and 28, however, two rods are attached at the center portion of diaphragm 12a and pass through cylinder 18 at 37 and 38. Extensions 33 and 36 can be utilized to actuate the diaphragm 12a causing a displacement in U-effect tube 21 which will cause a voltage gradient across U-eflect tube 21, giving an indication of the relative movement bet-ween the rods and the chamber 11 itself.

It should be understood, of course, that the following disclosure relates to only the preferred embodiments of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrolyte-reservoir coupler for coupling physican phenomena to a U-eifect tube, said coupler comprismg;

a unitary inflexible housing with a flexible compliant liquid-tight diaphragm extending across said housing to define two side-by-side chambers so that movement of said diaphragm in either direction will di-fferentially increase and decrease the pressure within the two chambers,

a U-effect tube having a passage of capillary size filled with alternate segments of dissimilar electrically conductive liquids, opposite ends of said passage communicating, respectively, with said two chambers,

a lead-in conductor to each of said chambers, and

means for displacing said diaphragm in response to said physical phenomena to, respectively, increase and decrease liquid pressure at said opposite ends of'the tube passage to in turn change the potential between said lead-in conductors.

2. The coupler of claim 1 wherein a mass is fixedly attached to said diaphragm in the center portion thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS MILTON O. HIRSHFIELD, Primary Examiner.

I. W. GIBBS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTROLYTE-RESERVOIR COUPLER FOR COUPLING PHYSICAN PHENOMENA TO A U-EFFECT TUBE, SAID COUPLER COMPRISING; A UNITARY INFLEXIBLE HOUSING WITH A FLEXIBLE COMPLIANT LIQUID-TIGHT DIAPHRAGM EXTENDING ACROSS SAID HOUSING TO DEFINE TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE CHAMBERS SO THAT MOVEMENT OF SAID DIAPHRAGM IN EITHER DIRECTION WILL DIFFERENTIALLY INCREASE AND DECREASE THE PRESSURE WITHIN THE TWO CHAMBERS, A U-EFFECT TUBE HAVING A PASSAGE OF CAPILLARY SIZE FILLED WITH ALTERNATE SEGMENTS OF DISSIMILAR ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE LIQUIDS, OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID PASSAGE COMMUNICATING, RESPECTIVELY, WITH SAID TWO CHAMBERS, A LEAD-IN CONDUCTOR TO EACH OF SAID CHAMBERS, AND MEANS FOR DISPLACING SAID DIAPHRAGM IN RESPONSE TO SAID PHYSICAL PHENOMENA TO, RESPECTIVELY, INCREASE AND DECREASE LIQUID PRESSURE AT SAID OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE TUBE PASSAGE TO IN TURN CHANGE THE POTENTIAL BETWEEN SAID LEAD-IN CONDUCTORS. 